President Barack Obama meets with Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard, in the Oval Office Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
Share
Like what you read? Subscribe to The Bilerico Project by Email.
Want others to read it too? Use the buttons and links here to share this entry with others. (Move your cursor over a button or link to learn more about it.)
5 Comments
« When A Challenged Man Wants Casual Sex | Home | A Conversation with the Chair: Seeking Quality Part 3 »
To be honest, I'm not all that impressed with Judy Shepard. Every time I hear or read something she's said about LGBT rights, she always focuses solely on gay and lesbian rights, and has repeatedly inferred that transgender rights are a less urgent issue for another day.
A pity we'll never see a picture like this of Obama and a trans rights activist, but I've now long since given up hope that Obama and his administration actually care much about transpeople. I don't think it's at all a coincidence that the last time we heard him address trans rights was well before the election.
One day we'll learn: It doesn't matter what the political climate is or who's in the White House. Democrats continue to run scared from real American equality. The only difference between now and a few years ago is that instead of saying they oppose (most of) our rights they now just ignore us and our issues as much as they possibly can, just like the Clinton Administration did for most of its existence.
Rebecca Juro | May 21, 2009 12:46 PM
Reply to this comment
"A pity we'll never see a picture like this of Obama and a trans rights activist"
Um, well I seem to remember this getting posted on this same blog:
http://www.bilerico.com/2009/03/a_picture_from_a_new_perspective_-_insid.php
There's no picture of Mara with the President, I guess, since she was in the audience, not on stage, but she was invited to the event. But I don't see why it would be an unrealistic goal to shoot for a trans rights activist on stage at some future such signing (ENDA?).
What happened to the possibility of Obama issuing an executive order to modify the federal Equal Employment Opportunity policy to include transpeople?
mcc | May 21, 2009 6:06 PM
Reply to this comment
It's great and certainly a step forward that Mara was invited to that event, but that's not the same as actually meeting with the President to discuss trans issues.
I think the problem really boils down to the reality all the available evidence seems to suggest: Obama and his staff just don't consider LGBT rights a high priority right now, or maybe ever.
Rebecca Juro | May 22, 2009 12:32 PM
Reply to this comment
The "meeting" lasted at most 90 seconds.
"Obama pauses for 90 second photo-op with Mary Shepherd" would have been an accurate headline.
They were supposed to have 10 minutes, but you know how these things are, more important issues have to be dealt with.
Zoe Brain | May 22, 2009 1:06 AM
Reply to this comment
Really. Did he say anything about the passage of the hate crimes bill during that 90 seconds? If not, why are we looking at this?
Paige Listerud | May 22, 2009 2:37 AM
Reply to this comment